Gals of Glazz - 4 - Arlie Trowbridge

I am so lovin the gals of glazz. I love hearing about what everyone is up to and I LOVE hearing all the similarities we have in our practices. Kinda makes you feel like you are in in it together you know, not some strange bird all out there alone.

Today i got a suer lady to introduce you to that I met while I was at Penland this year taking Ambers Cowan's class. Her name is Arlie Trowbridge and she is a flame worker. I kinda met Arlie first through instagram! Amber kind of put us in touch when she found out we were both taking her class. So it was kinda like I already had a pal before I even started! (God bless the internet.) Arlie is a super rad maker and I had THE best time with her at Penland. She is just one of those people that is super fun to hang out with and she is one super talented lady on the torch who taught be a whole bunch of rad tricks.

We also got to have a day off together where she showed me and Amber around her home town of Ashville. (I actually was so hung over I could barely function but somehow a Corey special (iced coconut coffee) and half a ginger cookie seemed to help me pull it together) She also took us to this amazing lake where I got to see a weiner dog swimmin laps while we ate pizza and had beers!! What more could you want? Arlie is killing it and makes beautiful jewellery. ( I also love that she is absolutely bananas about crystals and gems!!) Like me, she is self employed and I just think that is THE best. She will be going into her Christmas madness making period as we speak, on that torch 24/7. She def has the skillz to pay the billz. I hope you enjoy getting to know her, I sure did and I reckon she will be one of those friends for life. Glass is so awesome like that. (And I really hope she gets her butt over to visit me sometime...!!)

Gals of Glazz

Tune in for 10

1.Who are you and
what do you do?

Hi! My name is Arlie Trowbridge.I live in Asheville, North Carolina, USA. I
spend a good part of my day dreaming about places I want to visit and things I
want to make. I also spend a good amount of time exploring the mountains I live
in. I love to run, hike with my pup, float down the river, go to yoga class,
make fresh pressed juices and eat delicious foods. I like to drink lots and
lots of beer too. Oh, and I flamework! I spend lots and lots of time
flameworking.

2.What do you make?

I make jewelry probably 80% of the time and other
sculptural and home items as well. When orders are low and time is on my side,
I have been getting into thinking about larger works. I’ve been getting into
the cold shop, faceting crystal forms and making little hand held sculptures
and table top pieces on light boxes lit from below.

3.Why do you make?

To stay sane! J
There has never been a time in my life where I wasn’t making something. I tried
every medium growing up and bounced around with different techniques in college
too. It wasn’t till I was about to graduate that I discovered glass. Even when
I don’t feel inspired to melt glass, I’m sewing clothes, painting, arranging
flowers, etc etc. I just love looking at things, re-arranging and changing
things. If I couldn’t use my hands to make beautiful things, I would feel no
purpose.

4.What’s you colour
palette?

Since I started working with glass, I tell
people my favourite color is translucent. Doesn’t matter what color it is – if
it’s translucent, that’s just so yummy to look at!

I love experimenting with the whole borosilicate
glass palette though. And finding what colors work well with others because a lot of boro color
combinations can look gross real fast.

Oh, and purple. I freaking love the color purple.

5.What’s your
proudest achievement?

Being a self supporting maker straight out of college.
The only other “real” job I’ve had was lifeguarding in my early twenties. It’s
been really hard and it will continue to be really hard but it is undoubtedly
the most fulfilling way to live my life.

6.Hot or Cold?

Hot all day! I hate the cold shop. Hate. It. !!! But I
love the results so I’m gonna keep pushing myself to get in there and grind.
Hot all day goes for the weather too. Man, I hate winter.

7.What’s your dream
project?

Move to Hawaii and create island inspired works. It’s
really that simple. Gonna make it happen!

8.What’s your
influences?

Lot of influences during my day to day.
Running! I can’t stop talking about. Before this summer I had never run a mile
and now I run 3 to 8 every other day. It has had a huge impact on my life as a
whole and an amazing one on my flameworking studio practice.

The Appalachian mountains are amazing and
Asheville in general has an incredibly positive influence on me. I feel really
lucky to live here with such a supportive community and lots of glass blowers
too!

I first learned how to flamework with Emilio Santini
at Virginia Commonwealth University and I will forever cherish that time in my
life. I have also been able to take classes with Jennifer Umphress and Amber
Cowan – two huge gals of glazz girl crushes right there!

9.What’s coming up
for you? Or what are you looking forward to?

Right now I am in the thick of production jewelry due
to the holidays approaching. It seems that this time of year my hands are so
busy making repetitive designs that my mind is able to drift and come up with a
lot of new ideas at the same time. Instead of getting frustrated that I don’t
have time to make them, I’ve been jotting them down and come January 2016 I’m
hoping to crush out some big sculptures. We’ll see what happens.

10.If you could only
eat 3 foods for the rest of your life what would they be?

Mangos

Avocados

Beer

Thanks mate! And look at her adorable puppy! You should go check out her website here. Also she has a great instagram you can follow her on too, check her out here.